Pneumatically operated contact printer



July 20, 1948. w, L DE LANO i 2,445,566

PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED CONTACT PRINTER- Filed Nov. 29, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l y na-y W/ZZzJQLlegg zzor 7 0125255.

July 20, 1948. w. L. DE LANO 2,445,556

PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED CONTACT PRINTER Filed Nov. 29, 1945 A 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Ri/vena 2.-

July 2o, 1948. f w. L. DE LAN@ 2,445,566

PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED CONTACT PRINTER r Filed Nov. 29', 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 yymwwaw *W W. L. DE LANO PNEUMATIALLY OPERATED CONTACT PRINTER Julyzo, 1948.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 29, 1945 l l l I y im.. Q\\` n THUN m no, 'huuov e dfya f vr My invention relates to 'photographicso-called contact prints of drawingsl andk the like.

Patented` July 20, 1948 OFFICE PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED coN'rAcfr e PRINTER Willis L. De Lano, Chelsea, Mass.

'./vpplieation November 29, 1945, Serial No. 631,557

- 3 Claims.

apparatus for making itfrequently is desirable -to make -prints of 4.drawings or parts thereof while the paper or the like on which the-drawing is made isstill lon the drawing-board, which-latter commonly is a fixed 4part `of a draftsmans `table.v Heretof-ore no `whollysatisfactory apparatus for making prints under vsuch circumstances has Ybeen proposed. The present invention however has proved wholly satisfactory forsuch use, and inrespec't to that use achieves the-results soughtv in a practical-and Vsimple way without complexity of mechanism --and at a minimum cost in 'respect-to operation and-capital investment.

. The invention, rwhich however may bel employed for uses other than thatabove mentioned, willbe 'best' understood from the following description `when read in the light of the accompanying drawings, while the scope ofthe invention will be .more particularly Apointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig 1 is a plan of apparatus accordingto lthe invention;

1 v'liig. 2 is'an elevation of the apparatus according to'Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

- Fig. 3 isa section on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2;

bodimen't of apparatus according to the inven- .tion selected for illustrative purposes, a frame,

preferably 'of wood, is provided, this frame having Aa lower edge portion formed by the pairs of .parallel elongated strips I and 3 which are arranged to forman interior'rectangular opening .surrounded by continuous walls constituted by the strips. As tshown, the joints between `the stripsI and 3 at the four corners of the rectangle formed by them are interiorly braced by the triangular-shaped blocks 5', the vbottom surfaces .of these blocks being in the'sameY plane as the lower edges of the strips I` and 3. At each of the four .corners of the rectangle at the exterior of the strips IV and. 3isa-vertical1y extending post v'I'. lTheseposts atA their upper ends are connected'by strips 9 and II parallel to the strips I and 3, respectively. Supported on the strips 9 -and I I at its four edge portions is a platform I3, and surrounding the space above the platform is an open top casing formed by the longitudinally extending parts I5 and Il. The parts constituting the framel or support just described may be secured in assembled relation in any convenient way as, for example, by screws (not shown), as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

As illustrated, the lower edges of the stripsl and 3 are transversely eoncaved as illustrated at I9 (Fig. 7). Received in the concaved grooves thus formed, which grooves extend across the blocks 5, are the edge portions of a sheet vvor blanket Zlformed of transparent flexible material such as material commonly employed for photographic lms, or other transparent flexible material made of suitable so-called plastic This sheet extends entirely across the opening formed by the rectangular arrangement of the strips I and 3 so as to close that opening. As illustrated, the edge portions of the sheet 'or blanket 2l may be secured in the grooves formed by the lconcavities I9 by cement (not shown), and may be additionally secured therein by tacks or the like `23.

As hereinafter lmore fully described, the transparent flexible sheet or blanket 2I is adapted to rest on the upper surface of the material on which a drawing is formed, for example a sheet of drawing paper shown at in Figs. 7 and 9 to 14, while said sheet is on the drawing-board or draftsmans table and is therefore rigidly supported. For sealing the joint between the sheet or blanket 2l and the surface on which it rests there is preferably associated with said sheet a gasket which, as herein illustrated, is in the form of a rubber-tube 2l extending continuously about the edge portions of the sheet at its under side.

This tube, as shown, is continuously secured to the under side of the sheet or blanket by cement, as indicated at 29. When the frame is placed on the surface having the drawingits weight is su-pported by the gasket, which being of yielding flexible material is pressed into continuous contact with said surface and in that way seals the joint between said surface and the edge portions of the sheet. K

As illustrated, the platform I3 carries atits upper side a vacuum pump 3l driven by anelectric motor 33 to which it is connected by a driven belt 35. This vacuum pump may be of any suitlable sort, and is preferably of the rotary displacement type, being provided with a Vacuum relief valve 31, of known construction, connected to the suction inlet 39 of the pump by a rubber hose or other conduit 4|, the construction being such that when the pump is not in operation the valve in a known way connects the suction inlet to the atmosphere so as to break the vacuum established by the pump when in operation. As shown, the suction inlet of the pump is also connected by a hose or the like 43 to a nipple 45 integral with the upper side of the sheet or blanket 2| at one corner thereof. sheet is struck up by an embossing operation to form it with a slightly raised boss-like portion 41 at the central portion of which is formed an orice 49 in fluid communication with the nipple 45. As a, result when the pump 3| is driven by the motor 33 the air between the transparent sheet or blanket 2| and the surface on which the gasket 21 rests will be exhausted to cause said sheet to be pressed rmly against said surface, and, when the operation of the motor is discontinued, the vacuum relief valve will cause such space to be connected to the atmosphere and the pressure of the sheet against said surface therefore to be relieved. For facilitating withdrawal of the film of air beneath the sheet or blanket over its entire extent the sheet, as illustrated, is struck up to form a plurality of radiating V- shaped ridges which on the under sides of the sheet form groove-like channels 53 (Fig. 6) conimunicating with the recess 55 beneath the slightly gf' raised boss-like portion 41 of the sheet.

At its under side the platform I3 is shown as carrying a plurality of spaced lamp sockets 51 for lamps 59, the sockets being mounted on strips 6| secured in any suitable manner to the under side of the platform. The lamps of the bank of lamps thus formed are shown as connected in parallel by the leads 63 and 65 to the plug 61 (Fig. 1), the plug being adapted to be inserted in a socket outlet of a house or building lighting system. Interposed in the lead 65 in series with each other is shown a toggle switch 69 and a manually set, variable, time controlled switch 1I, both carried by one of the parts I1 of the casing at the top of the platform I3. As shown (Fig. 1), the terminals of the motor 33 are connected across the leads 53 and 65 by leads 12 (Fig. 1) at such point as to place the motor under the control of the toggle switch 69.

The bank of lamps constitutes light emitting means above the transparent exible sheet or blanket 2| for exposing said sheet to light for a period controlled by the time controlled switch 1|, which latter may be of a known construction in which it may be set manually by the operator to remain in closed circuit condition for variable definite lengths of time selected by him.

As shown, the frame strips 3 above the transparent sheet or blanket 2| are provided on their inner sides with longitudinally extending grooves 13 (Figs. 7 and 12) for receiving an opaque sheet 15, the purpose of which latter when inserted is to mask the transparent sheet from the light emitted from the bank of lamps 59. One of the frame strips I is shown as provided with a slot 11 (Fig. 5) through which the sheet 15 may be slid for removable reception of its edge portions in the grooves 13, the lopposite strip I having a groove 19 for receiving the extreme end of the sheet. As best shown in Fig. 12, the blocks 5 are provided with grooves 9| placing the rearward ends of the grooves 13 in communication with the ends of the groove 19, the corners of the sheet 15 being cut off to conform to the bottoms of the grooves 8| when inserted therein. For clearing Preferably this I 4 the hose 43 the sheet 15 at one corner is notched as indicated at 83 in Fig. 13.

A Way of using the apparatus above described is diagrammatically illustrated by Figs. 9 to l14. In these gures a sheet 85 of ordinary drawing paper, or other material of such nature as will transmit suilicient light or actinic rays for photographically affecting a light sensitized surface, is shown as secured by thumb-tacks 81 t0 a drawing-board or table top of a draftsmans table 89, the drawing on such paper being indicated by the lines forming the figures D, D1, D2, D3 and D4. To make a print of this drawing a sheet 9| of sensitized paper or other suitable material is employed. This sheet may be carried from a dark room, or other place in which it is stored, between a lower opaque sheet 93 (Fig. 9) and an upper opaque sheet 95, both preferably of fairly stiff, relatively thin material such' as opaque plastic The sensitized paper and the carrier therefor constituted by the opaque sheets 93 and 95 may be slid under the drawing paper 85 with the sensitized side 91 of the sheet 9| facing the drawing, as indicated in Fig. 9. 'I'he support carrying the vacuum pump and transparent flexible blanket 2| may then be placed on the sheet of drawing paper, as indicated in Fig. 10, with the opaque masking sheet 15 in place. The lower opaque sheet 93 of the carrier for the sensitized paper may then be withdrawn, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 10, and then the opaque sheet 95 of the carrier may be withdrawn, as indicated by Fig. 11, it being immaterial in which order they are withdrawn if the opaque masking sheet 15 is in place. When these operations are completed the parts are in the position indicated by Fig. l2 except that the opaque masking sheet 15 is still in position, that is to say, the sensitized sheet is immediately below the drawing paper with the sensitized side of said sheet in Contact with the under side of the drawing paper and the transparent blanket 2| is immediately above the drawing paper in contact with the drawing thereon, while exposure of the sensitized sheet is prevented by the opaque masking sheet 15 and th'e surrounding Walls of the frame. By throwing the toggle switch 69 into closed position when the parts are in the positions just described the motor 33 may be set in operation to drive the vacuum pump 3|, which will exhaust the air from the space immediately below the transparent blanket to cause the same to be pressed firmly over substantially its entire extent against the sh'eet of drawing paper and the latter to be pressed against the sensitized sheet throughout the entire extent of the latter. After the pump has been in operation for a short period, usually not more than a minute and a half, the time controlled switch 1| may be operated to light the bank of lamps 59 while the operation of the pump is continued, and as soon as the lamps arey lighted the masking sheet 15 may be withdrawn to initiate exposure of the sensitized sheet. the parts then being arranged exactly as shown in Fig. 12. As soon as the time controlled switch extinguishes th'e lamps to terminate the exposure period, which period ordinarily will be but a few seconds, the opaque masking sheet 15 may then be immediately replaced, as indicated in Fig. 13, whereupon the upper opaque sheet 95 of the carrier for the sensitized sheet may be slid into the space between said sensitized sheet and the sheet of drawing paper, as illustrated by the arrow in Fig. 13, and after the sheet 95 is in place the lower opaque sheet 93 of the carrier may be slid into the space between the sensitized sheet and the surface of? th'eldra ingbo'ardortable top, as shown-by Fig. 14, it however being immaterial ,in `ai'fhichorder the opaque sheets 93 and .95 are einserted fi-f the opaque masking ,sheet .-f |;5=is.:em pployed. After the carriersis reinsertedl lt -,may ybe-,withdrasvr'1' with the sheet,y of sensitized paper and carried to a vdark roomfforfdeveloping'the printer negative.

-, --.Th,eoper,ations just described form aso-called -night reading print or negativa-.fand as-the `sensitized side 91 of the sheet 9| is spaced from the drawing by only the thickness of the drawing paper the print will be clear and sh'arp.

If it is desired to make a so-called reverse print or negative of the drawing while the drawing paper 85 is in its normal position on the drawing-board, the above operations may be performed, except that the sensitized sheet 9| must be so positioned beneath the drawing paper that the sensitized side 91 of said sheet faces away from the drawing, in which case the body of the paper or other material of which the sheet 95 is formed must, like the drawing paper, be capable of transmitting sufficient light or actinie rays for photographically affecting said sensitized side during the exposure period. This way of making a reverse negative, however, does not always secure wh'olly satisfactory results, particularly if the drawing paper is rather thick, it being observed that the light must pass through two sheets of paper and the parting surfaces or joint between them in order to travel from the drawing to the sensitized side of the sheet 9|, with resulting diffusion of the light and consequent lack of sharpness in the negative. Therefore, when a reverse negative is desired, in order to insure satisfactory results a socalled reilex print or negative is formed. To do this the carrier with the sensitized sheet, instead of being placed under the sheet of drawing paper, is placed above it with the sensitized side 91 of the sheet 9| facing the drawing, after which the frame may be placed over the drawing paper with the transparent blanket in contact with th'e uppermost opaque sheet of the carrier. The opaque sheets constituting the carrier may then be withdrawn with the masking sheet in place, the vacuum pump put in operation, and the print exposed by lighting the lamps and withdrawing the masking sheet in the same way as before, after which the masking sheet and opaque sheets of the carrier may be reinserted and the exposed print with the carrier be removed for developing the print or negative. It will be understood that in making a reilex print or negative th'e paper or other material of which the body of the sensitized sheet is formed will be of such nature that it will transmit sufficient light or actinic rays for photographically affecting the senistized side of said sheet, that the drawing paper, like ordinary paper, will be such nature that it will reflect such light or rays, and that ordinarily a longer exposure will be required than when making a right reading print.

If desired, the opaque masking sh'eet 'l5 need not be employed. In this case, assuming the carrier is inserted beneath the sheet of drawing paper, as shown in Fig. 9, and the frame is in place, as shown in Fig. 10, the lower opaque sheet 93 of the carrier as soon as it is withdrawn, that is to say, while the upper opaque sheet 95 of the carrier is still in place, may be placed on top of the transparent blanket 2| to protect against exposure the sensitized side 91 of the sheet 9|, whereupon the upper opaque sheet 95 of the car- "rier :maybe removed. Ask soon f asi the Y lamps are vlighted the ilower opaque. sheet-93 may-:be Jremoved Jv.fron'iffthe transparent blanket to expose-theA-sensi- `tized sheet. .At the end of Ythe exposure .period t-he vupper opaque sheet maybe immediately reinserted again tofprotect thesensitized side 491 ofthe sheetl9 i against urtherrexposure, 4fand then the lower opaque sheet 93 of v:the carrier may be reinsertedso that-the sensitized sheet may be carried to the darkroom for developing it. In an obvious manner informing-av reflex print the same Operations may be vperfor-med when thejcardrawn, and, upon completion of the exposure period, th'e upper opaque sheet of the carrier being immediately reinserted, after which the lower opaque sheet of the carrier may be reinserted, and the carrier with the sensitized paper withdrawn.

It will be understood that within the scope of the appended claims wide deviations may be made from the form of the apparatus herein described with'out departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Portable apparatus for use in making contact prints of drawings and the like having, in combination, a support having a substantially continuous opaque lower wall portion forming an opening, a sheet of transparent flexible material carried by said wall portion adjacent its lower edge for closing said opening whereby said support may be placed on the surface having the drawing with said sheet in closely adjacent relation to said surface, light emitting means carried by said support above said sheet, said support having provision for movably supporting an opaque mask between said light emitting means and sheet, a vacuum pump carried by said support, said sheet having an orifice, and conduit means for connecting said orifice to the Suction intake of said pump.

2. Portable apparatus for use in making contact prints of drawings and the like comprising a sheet of transparent exible material adapted to be placed over the surface having the drawing, a support operatively adapted to rest on said surface in association with said sheet when the latter is so placed, light emitting means carried by said support above said sheet, said support having provision for movably supporting .an opaque mask between said light emitting means and sheet, said sheet having an orifice, a vacuum pump carried by said support, and means for connecting the suction intake of said pump to said orice.

3. Portable apparatus for use in making contact prints of drawings and th'e like having, in combination, a support having a substantially continuous opaque lower wall portion presenting a downwardly facing opening at the lower edges of said portion, a sheet of transparent flexible material carried by said wall portion for closing said opening whereby said support may be placed on the 'surface having the drawing with said sheet in closely adjacent relation to said surface, light emitting means carried by said support above said flexible sheet in spaced relation thereto, said lower w-all portion having provision for operatively removably supporting an opaque masking sheet between said lightemitting means rand said flexible sheet, a vacuum pump carried by :said support, said exible sheet having an orice, conduit means connecting said vacuum pump to :said orifice, and a gasket carried by said lower 'wall portion adjacent its lower edges for sealing the joint between said portion and the surface having the drawing.

WILLIS L. DE LANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

